"In the Water They Can't See You Cry..."

I've mentioned before that swimming is a sport that is very individual in nature. It is undoubtedly a great workout, and most people swim to de-stress, mentally escape and invigorate.
It's interesting to hear the reasons why people swim, what motivates them and where their minds go when they dive-in.

We all have our reasons for swimming. I started as a child because my parents love the water - the beach, surf, the pool... It was also highly recommended by my doctor to help manage my asthma as a child. Later singing teachers would recommend swimming and pool drills to help with breath management. My recent return to the pool was about stress management and weight loss, which I shared in one of my earlier blogs (click here for that story).  As I talk to people in my masters group, I am fascinated to hear people's stories as to why they swim and what makes them motivated to swim. 

"In the Water They Can't See You Cry" is a title of the book written by 7 time Olympic medalist for USA Swimming, Amanda Beard. She talks about her swimming journey, her struggles at home, dealing with life in the spotlight, her relationships, battling depression and her path to the new found happiness in her life . It's actually quite an uplifting memoir, and a great "coming of age story." What I love the most is the title of the book, as it reminds me of some of the stories of people in my master's group and most certainly my own experiences.

One of my team mates, Susie (name has been altered to protect identity), reminds me of Amanda Beard's book title - "In the Water They Can't See You Cry."  When you first meet Susie she comes across as a grumpy old woman, in fact, no one really likes her in the lane. She's not a very social person, and she shows up to practice with a laser focus in the water and she swims quite fast, proving she means business at practice. One day after practice, I saw her in the locker room and noticed tears streaming down her face. I asked her what was wrong and she told me her story... Susie was laid off over a year ago, and had spent 28 years with that company as an administrative assistant. She is in her 60's now and the stress of trying to find a job in a very technological powered job market is quite overwhelming, compiled with the pressures of trying to make ends meet. Susie swims because it's the only thing that keeps her sane, and she can release her stress and simply put, no one can see you cry in the water. 

I completely relate to Susie's story, during this period of career transition, swimming has become the anchor in my daily routine and a place where I can truly express my emotions, and clear my head to find motivation in all aspects of my life. When my head is down in the water, I am lost in an all out internal battle with my emotions and thoughts, including wrestling with that particular stroke or set! Some days when the burdens of the world seem to weigh me down completely, the only consoling source is the feel of the water, and somehow I'm able to let it go and find peace. Indeed. No one can see me cry in the water!